One Hell of a Fight
by PenPatronus
Summary: Re-write of the climax of "The Prodigal," season 5. Sheppard falls from the rampart during the fight with Michael. Will he survive? McKay and Sheppard whump, drama, hurt / comfort. In 2 parts. DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE


**Summary:** Re-write of the climax of "The Prodigal," season 5. Sheppard falls from the rampart during the fight with Michael. Will he survive? McKay and Sheppard whump, drama, hurt / comfort. In 2 parts.

**Author's Note:** Change in point of view is indicated by "----------"

**One Hell of a Fight  
**Part One of Two  
PenPatronus

Beside the central tower in a Puddle Jumper, McKay sighed with relief and pocketed his radio. He watched the power return to the city below him, section after section lighting up. For a brief moment, Rodney pictured his father plugging in the white lights of their Christmas tree. His sister, a mere five years old in the memory, danced around in celebration. McKay felt like celebrating, too. Michael's pirated Jumper was destroyed by the wormhole and the self-destruct was off. Sheppard was rounding up the hybrids and securing the control room. Teyla and Torren were safe. John didn't have to go on a suicide mission and Jennifer would patch up Ronon. The nightmare was over. Rodney shifted the Jumper's controls to head back to the underwater bay.

But before he went, McKay decided to visually inspect the city to see if anything external was damaged. Gently, very aware that the Jumper's inertial dampeners were non-operational, McKay steered the ship into a wide arc, squinting at every structure as he went. He checked the suburbs, then the buildings of the inner circle, and then the central tower. His eyes traveled up past the control room to the Jumper pad, but stopped before they reached the roof.

On the balcony attached to the outer wall of the pad, two figures were in hand-to-hand combat. Rodney instantly recognized them both: Michael from his white-silver hair, and Sheppard from his silhouette and fighting style. John was dangerously close to the edge of the rampart.

McKay cursed. Pushing his luck, he ignored the inertial dampeners and hit the Jumper's "gas."

----------

John ducked under Michael's punch and rammed his shoulder into the hybrid's chest. Michael stumbled backwards, but only two or three steps. He recovered quickly. His elbow came down on Sheppard's back and his knee connected with John's stomach. Sheppard couldn't inhale. The gash across his cheekbone throbbed. Michael grabbed him by the vest, pivoted, and slammed him against the tower wall. Sheppard heard something near his shoulder crack.

John spit blood. He got to his feet but had to lean against the wall. Then he took a swing, but Michael intercepted his fist. With a powerful lunge, he kicked Sheppard in the chest. John's neck snapped backward and his head cracked against the wall. Yellow, orange and red stars clouded his vision, and John couldn't help but groan. Michael's hands wrapped around his throat.

"You're going to die here, Sheppard," Michael hissed. "Atlantis may survive, but you won't."

"You won't make it out of the city alive," Sheppard wheezed with what little breath remained. "If I die, I die knowing that."

Michael roared. He loosened his grip and pulled one fist back, but John was ready. Sheppard wrapped his arms around Michael's neck and used his weight to pull them both to the floor. For several dizzy, confusing moments, they rolled across the balcony. John had the upper hand at first, but Michael was stronger. He pinned Sheppard, then pulled him to his feet and shoved him backward. John didn't realize how close they were to the edge of the tower until his heels landed on nothing. He was standing on the tips of his toes, leaning backwards, held up only by Michael's grip on his shirt, his hands reaching for something to save him and finding nothing. The wild wind beyond the tower's protection whipped at his hair and raised goose bumps on the back of his neck.

For a fraction of a moment, Michael smirked triumphantly. And then he simply let go.

There was nothing John could do but close his eyes and take his final flight.

And then, as suddenly as he fell, he landed. He _felt_ the landing. His back was against something hard, supportive, grimy. He opened his eyes. The night sky of the Pegasus galaxy was directly above him. When he raised his neck he saw the underside of the balcony he'd just fallen from. John blinked, then said aloud, "What the hell?" He sat up and discovered that he was on top of a Puddle Jumper. A Puddle Jumper that just happened to be hovering in the air directly below his latest fight to the death.

_McKay_. Rodney caught him. John pounded his fist twice against the Jumper's hull as if to say "Thank you."

In response, the Jumper's ramp descended. With the wind slicing at him and his ribs vibrating like a harp's strings, John crawled in the direction of the ramp, back towards the tower. He reached the edge and looked down to see the ramp extended below. John stretched his neck out and hung his face into the Jumper. In the pilot's seat (upside down, from John's perspective) was Rodney McKay.

"Oh, thank God!" Rodney gasped. "I couldn't see—I wasn't sure if it was you on the roof or Michael!"

Sheppard grinned. "I owe you a drink for this, Rodney. And a pizza. A big one. Lots of sausage and pineapple."

"I'm allergic to pine—" Rodney's eyes suddenly widened. "_**JOHN**_!"

John realized what was about to happen a second before it did. Unfortunately that knowledge was not much of a defense.

A pair of boots came into view when they landed on the ramp. John raised his face just in time for Michael to punch it. His temple hit with the hull.

----------

Rodney leapt to his feet, unsheathed his sidearm and aimed it at Michael's chest. But he couldn't fire. With a quickness that McKay's eyes didn't follow, Michael yanked John off the roof of the Jumper and held him between himself and the gun. John was barely conscious. Blood was on his temple and cheek. His head lolled to the side and he blinked at Rodney, dazed. Michael wrapped his arms around Sheppard's neck and held him against his chest like a shield.

"Dr. McKay," Michael sneered from behind John's left ear. "Do exactly what I tell you, or I'll snap the colonel's neck."

There was barely a square centimeter for Rodney to aim at. Sweat made the gun slippery in Rodney's hands. He tried to keep it from trembling. "Let him go or I'll shoot."

"We both know you're a poor shot, Doctor," the hybrid said. He tightened his grip on John's neck. "Now. Put the gun on the floor and kick it towards me, or Sheppard dies."

Rodney knew that Michael would kill Sheppard anyway. He would kill them both. He'd murder them and attack Atlantis again the next day or the day after. He would hunt down Teyla and her son. He would kill Woolsey, Ronon and Jennifer. And probably Carson. If he took Atlantis he could even Gate to Earth and go after Sam, Daniel…

John's voice, hoarse and muffled by blood, reached Rodney. "Shoot, Rodney," he mumbled. "_Shoot_." He nodded his head up and down, reminding Rodney of when he was captured by Koyla and could only communicate by moving his chin.

Rodney had to fire. He had to even if the bullet went through John Sheppard's heart to pierce Michael's.

**To Be Continued**


End file.
